Beautiful Wreck
by Cards
Summary: He couldn't leave her. But how idealistic. They now have to deal with the mundane and can they do that? EthanOC Somewhat sequal to Riot Boy
1. Chapter 1

Ethan couldn't leave her there.

He saw how she was. He'd seen it when she'd taken the bacardi ice from him, guzzling it down so easily. The pain in her face as she she pulled it away. He knew it wasn't from the flavor of the alcohol, and he'd wanted to kiss her. They started, and he couldn't let her be.

They'd made love on his step mother's furs, she'd laughed the second time. They had spent the weekend together. He'd woken up next to her for three days straight. And he'd gotten addicted to it.

He'd gotten addicted to the fact that she didn't mind the way he held her close, his forehead resting against her back. Kate had always thrown a fit, she didn't like waking up next to him, always somewhere to go. He'd gotten addicted to the way Chris relaxed next to him, the way that when he stroked her hair, she tried to put it back up. That she laughed when they fell off the couch, and just continued anyway.

That she'd told him outright when her and Gordon slept together. That she'd cried on his shoulder, that she trusted him enough to do that.

Then he'd gone to pick Gordon up.

She'd looked so different. She wasn't laughing.

And he knew, he couldn't leave her. When the three of them were nice and baked, and Chris winced away from his touch, a light stroke down her back. He knew.

"Gordon, why didn't you stop them?"

"What do you mean?" David passed the pipe to him.

"He didn't know till after."

"How wasted am I that I missed half a conversation?" David looked up at the two of them.

"My mom got mad and just let loose."

Ethan nuzzled her neck, kissing her lightly. "Wish I could take you away." He whispered, his fine hair tickling her collar bone lightly. Chris tilted her neck, closing her eyes.

"Guys, We should get going?"

"David we're baked." Chris pointed out. "none of us is really fit to drive. Just relax."

"I miss Lizzie." He rolled his eyes. "Isn't there some place you two can go?"

"My apartment is empty." Chris grinned, tugging Ethan up. Her eyes, eager, even with the slightly panicky look she was giving David.

The climb in, her loose pants, stolen from her brother catch on the window. Ethan helps her, as they walk through her apartment to the small room Chris shares with her sister, who is out, has been for a few days. They step over broken furniture and then fall into her bed, Ethan cradling her against his chest.

They lay like that, Ethan kissing her neck. Wanting so badly to protect her at that moment. He pushes the oversized flannel shirt up, stroking her back as he does so. His hands are soft and light.

When Chris gasps, near tears because he touches her, her back raw, because he sees it and doesn't need to exclaim. He promises himself. He'll be back for her when he's 18 and his trust comes into his name.

Author's notes: mkay, so David and Lizzie are done. Chris and Ethan are just getting started. Most of this is going to take place after a few years. Maybe the next chapter will be more of the story. But yay! It turns out I had more to write. But David and Lizzie are less and less of this.


	2. Chapter 2

Chris graduated, barely. David had ended up forcing her to go with bribes of brining her to Hillview and with Ethan showing up randomly to surprise her. Between the two of them she was motivated enough.

Ethan had never doubted he would barely squeak by. And he did. He graduated with a 2.3 and nothing to set him apart besides the superlatives of "best hair", "most popular" and "best looking". He attended his graduation only to piss off his soon to be ex-stepmother. One who was joining a rather large club. She had made a huge deal about planning his graduation party only to have him say he wasn't going to walk. He had of course always intended it.

The weekend of graduation though, his father had been called out on business and had left the house full of beer and made sure his wife was at a weekend spa.

Ethan took the opportunity to skip graduation and pick up his diploma and Chris. That summer was fun. The four of them, Lizzie, David, Ethan and Chris practically living at Ethan's house they were saying goodbye. Lizzie had been accepted into the fashion institute in New York and David was going to NYU, only he was debating switching his major from Film to phsycology or sociology. Ethan was going to a college in San Francisco, Chris was going to tag along, get a job and try and make a life for herself.

The four had decided unanimously that they needed to relax, not talk about how they all knew each other, or all the hard stuff in their lives. They needed to just laze around.

Lizzie had also decided that Chris needed a hair cut, and suddenly six inches of her long blonde hair was gone, it looked better but Chris couldn't deal with the emotional strain. Ethan had threatened to cut Lizzie's throat as she slept if she so much as came within six inches of his hair while holding scissors so she was forced to cut David's, giving him a more youthful hair cut. David cursed and bitched about it but eventually gave up whining and just waited for it to grow out before making Lizzie promise to never cut his hair again.

It seemed like a few days until they were packing up to move out. Lizzie and David gulped back tears as they hugged Chris and Ethan. Lizzie on the final night was able to forgive David and Chris for sleeping together, something she hadn't been able to do before, at least not really. David was able to forgive himself for not being able to help himself or Chris over the past year, and Chris was able to let go of her past as she packed up her stuff for the drive to San Francisco.

Ethan and Chris moved into an apartment that his father was paying for. His father thought that it was good of his son to find a nice girl who would hopefully do all the womanly things he thought was necessary for a man to have done for him.

Even though they had lived at Ethan's all summer Ethan's father had met Chris only six times. And twice he had asked if she was the new maid and tried to hit on her. Chris had been dismayed at his behavior, unsure how Ethan had turned out as he had. His father while no longer hitting his son was by far not done abusing him. He lay down cash and nothing else. Not even staying around to see his son off.

Ethan didn't care at all. They drove off and he started college, an undeclared major with absolutely no idea of what he wanted. Chris started working as a waitress, making enough money to keep herself afloat and paying for the utilities. She kept a portion aside for her own schooling, not thinking she would go anywhere fancy or anywhere but community. But she wanted the degree.

They had a good first year together, Ethan was enjoying being somewhere that no one expected him too be dumb and Chris was enjoying being able to live somewhere that she didn't have to escape.

They fought a lot, their relationship was anything but perfect. They fought over who needed to buy the toilet paper, over when the dishes needed to be done.

Both had tempers, rough ones. Both had been suppressed their whole lives by their parents. And now they were free. They would scream, Chris louder than Ethan. Once the police had showed up at their apartment, apparently a neighbor was worried.

Chris had been furious. She'd stalked out. "Oh so now the fucking cops come around?" She'd screamed, "Not when ya know they're fucking needed." Ethan had tried to grab her. He'd felt the same when the two officers had knocked on his door. Where the hell had they been when his mother was beaten? When he or Chris had been beaten? But they were there now, glaring at him as he grabbed at her.

"Chris calm down, they're just doing their job."

"No, there here because the lady next door thinks I'm a whore!" She yelled.

"What?"

The police officers stood back watching the two both unsure what to do, they can see this is just a fight, but they don't want to leave. They're worried something more will happen. And both are a little shocked to see such rage from two seemingly well behaved people.

Chris stands, in the hall way, then suddenly collapses down, gulping back tears and then letting them fall as Ethan leans forward to pick her up. He instead kneels down in front of her kissing her forehead. "Chris its all over if we can't count on each other." He whispers and she nods, standing up as they walk in. "Thanks for responding, we're fine" Ethan says.

Author's notes: If it sucks, tell me. If you hate it, tell me. If you love it, then tell me!


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